1797 $10 Small Eagle AU50 PCGS.BD-1, R.5.
Bass-Dannreuther Die State b/b. The BD-1 is the only die pairing
known for the 1797 Small Eagle ten dollar gold coins, although the
year was a transitional one: The reverse changed during the year to
the Large Eagle or Heraldic Eagle style, of which three die
marriages are known. The 1797 Small Eagle accordingly appeals to a
wide range of collectors, as it is a Guide Book-listed
variety, a last-year-of-type coin, and simply a rare early gold
coin that is seldom offered in any grade. Putting the rarity at
R.5, Bass-Dannreuther estimate that from 55 to 65 examples survive
today in all grades.
The 1797 Small Eagle variety is an anomaly that could be the start
of a long and fruitful numismatic journey: It has the most
asymmetrical star arrangement of any early eagle variety, a
lopsided 12 stars left, 4 right ("12x4" for short). This suggests
that some of our deep-pocketed collector friends might try to
assemble one of each of the various obverse star arrangements --
which are all technically different design subtypes, in fact --
among the early gold eagles, which are as follows:

Such a type collection of early obverse star arrangements would
thus comprise seven varieties, but pursuing them in the highest
practicable grades could be a lifetime numismatic
pursuit.
The present 1797 Small Eagle, BD-1, would certainly put the
successful bidder well on the road, offering bright yellow-gold
surfaces that display noticeable reddish patina around the device
edges and the margins of each side. Numerous light handling marks
are sprinkled around, none distracting. The strike is well-defined
save for the immediate high points of each side. Population: 2 in
50, 16 finer (1/12).(Registry
values: P7) (NGC ID# 25ZX, PCGS# 8555)